


with your feet in the air and your head on the ground

by notthebigspoon



Series: Brandon and Hobbes [1]
Category: Baseball RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-30
Updated: 2012-08-30
Packaged: 2017-11-13 05:32:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/500040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/notthebigspoon/pseuds/notthebigspoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hobbes is pacing back and forth across the floor, tail swishing. He gives Brandon an expectant look until half of a sandwich is tossed his way. Buster presses himself against the wall, slowly sliding towards Brandon. He looks absolutely terrified. When there's a 600 pound feline in the room, Brandon supposes that fair.</p><p>Title taken from Where Is My Mind by the Pixies.</p>
            </blockquote>





	with your feet in the air and your head on the ground

**Author's Note:**

> Pure, unapologetic cracky Baseball RPF/Calvin & Hobbes fusion. I just started thinking about it. It was originally supposed to be Pence but for some reason Brandon wanted to be the one who had a tiger for a not-quite-imaginary friend.

“It's... it talks.”

“His name is Hobbes.”

“Why is it talking?”

“Okay, now you're just being rude. Brandon, you need to make better friends.”

Brandon has no desire to be in the middle of this. After all, it's not his fault Buster had barged in without knocking. As such, Brandon continues eating his tuna sandwich and shrugs when Buster just stares at him. 

Hobbes is pacing back and forth across the floor, tail swishing. He gives Brandon an expectant look until half of a sandwich is tossed his way. Buster presses himself against the wall, slowly sliding towards Brandon. He looks absolutely terrified. When there's a 600 pound feline in the room, Brandon supposes that fair.

“Stop freaking out, Hobbes won't hurt you.” He sighs, patting the couch. He grabs a sandwich from the stack, offering it to Buster. When the catcher shakes his head, Brandon shrugs and pitches it at Hobbes, snickering when it splats across his face. Hobbes beams, as much as a tiger can anyways, and starts licking at his own nose.

When Buster gets to the arms around his legs, rocking back and forth and whimpering stage, Brandon decides to take pity on him. He explains getting the toy when he was a toddler and how that had somehow become Hobbes. It still doesn't make any sense to Brandon, he'd given up the physics and logical aspects of the matter when Hobbes had finally told him to call it magic and be done with it.

If it wasn't right in front of his eyes, Brandon knows that Buster would call him crazy and leave. Now, Buster just thinks that he's caught Brandon's crazy. Or at least, that's what Brandon was expecting. He didn't expect the look of understanding that's dawning on Buster's face or the way his expression turns thoughtful when he looks over the back of the couch at a now blissfully snoozing Hobbes.

“So... did Jalynne know about Hobbes?”

“She couldn't see him. She thought I was crazy, that's why she left. I tried to hide it but it's kind of hard to. My parents... they started taking me to a shrink when I was a kid because they thought I should have grown out of the imaginary friend thing. They put me on medication... they tried everything. And I tried really hard to pretend that I couldn't see him anymore, that I was normal. But I just couldn't.” Brandon mumbles, and this is still embarrassing and painful, knowing that his family still thinks he's nuts. “That was the greatest thing about going to school. I could be on my own and people didn't know about Hobbes. S'why I swallowed the cost and stayed in a private room. It's why I don't like living with other people or having people over. I tried really hard with Jalynne but I couldn't make it work.”

Buster frowns and squeezes Brandon's shoulder. Brandon tries not to lean into it. “So how come I can see him?”

“Fuck if I know. I don't know how it works. Most people can't. Zito can but that didn't really surprise me any. It's the only reason I invited him over. He thought I was working an angle but then he saw Hobbes. They get along great. I'm... I'm really sorry if this freaks you out. It's not my fault. I mean, I wouldn't make him go away if I could but-”

“Crawford, it's fine. Honestly the only reason I came over is because you only leave your house for games after the divorce and I was getting worried about you.”

It feels nice, really, to know that someone cares about how he's doing since the divorce. There's Theriot since he'd come to the team but it wasn't the same thing, even if he could see Hobbes too. He gets along with the other guys but he keeps a careful distance with most of them, always going to them and nobody coming to him. It's easier that way. It's not about them and whether or not they can see Hobbes, it's about Brandon's inability to not talk to Hobbes when he turns up. He's spent enough time with people thinking he's crazy. He doesn't need more of it, not with his family still worrying about him. The Giants are a fresh start, just like college was.

He doesn't realize he's retreated inside his own head again until there's a heavy weight on his lap. He looks down and sees Hobbes sitting on the floor with his head on Brandon's legs, one paw lifting up to rest on Brandon's arm. He manages a shaky smile. This is something they've done a lot since Jalynne left him. Posey tenses next to him but slowly relaxes. He seems to hesitate before reaching out a hand and petting Hobbes. Hobbes purrs before sitting up and holding a paw out.

“Hobbes.”

“Buster.”

“Nice to meet you. Have a sandwich. I'm going to go get caught up on QI.”

Hobbes slinks off to the guest room. Brandon hears the creak of the bed as he climbs onto it and then the TV whirring to life. When Buster gives him a questioning look, Brandon shrugs. “Giant remote. Told the guy making it it was for a joke. And I'd eat the sandwich at some point. He doesn't share with everybody. Definitely doesn't share with Zito.”

“This is insane.” Buster finally says and Brandon cringes, shrinking away because that's exactly what he was afraid was going to happen, one more person thinking he's nuts. He starts to scoot down the couch but Buster shakes his head, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. “No, you're not going anywhere. I didn't mean it like that. I don't think you're crazy. I mean, if you are, I am. Just meant that it's unexpected.”

“You really don't mind?” Brandon asks, biting his lip.

Buster just grins and leans in, kissing Brandon lightly, smiling into it, “I really don't.”


End file.
